Notes

Summary:

Diary, correspondence. These diaries (1863-1894, 1903-1910) contain Keene's often terse entries about his daily routines from 1863, when he resided in Washington, D.C., through his years as a citizen of Jacksonville, Florida. They include his reaction to the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. Unfortunately, the diaries do not cover the crucial Florida years of 1898 (Spanish-American War) and 1901 (Great Jacksonville Fire) but remain important as a local chronicle.

Restriction:

Transcription available for general use.

Biographical:

Bookkeeper, Legislator.

Biographical:

Otis Little Keene was born on May 23, 1830, Lincoln County, Maine. He came to Jacksonville, Florida, in 1855 to manage the Judson House hotel. He resided there until April 10, 1862, when Confederate forces evacuated and burned the hotel. Mr. and Mrs. Keene and hundreds of others left Jacksonville on United States transports bound for New York. He worked as a clerk in the Treasury Department until 1866 when he returned to Jacksonville. He was customs inspector at the Jacksonville
Customs House until 1869 when he became a clerk in the St. James Hotel, 1870-1872. From 1873-74, Keene was President of the Jacksonville City Council and a county commissioner from 1875-81. He was also a member of the Jacksonville Board of Trade and a freemason. Keene's first wife, A. H. Dunham, died in February 1873, and on September 5, 1878, he married H. L. Ashton, of London, England. They had no children. Keene was in the milliner and dry goods business until 1902.

General Note:

Diaries of Otis Keene; Special and Area Studies Collections Department, University of Florida Libraries, Gainesville, Florida; There is a good annotated transcript of the diaries, compiled and abridged by Richard A. Martin, 1973.

Record Information

Source Institution:

University of Florida

Holding Location:

Department of Special Collections and Area Studies, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida

Rights Management:

All applicable rights reserved by the source institution and holding location.

AT any time of the year add a1 hours to the rime of the sun's setting,
and from the sum subtract the time ol rising for the length of the day.
Subtract the Ltme of eatingg from ia hours, and to the remainder add the
lime of risng nexi morning for the length of the n;ghL These rules are
equally true for anparent time.

The first section of the Act of March 3, 18;3, provides "that the value
or foreign con, as expressed in the money of accouln of the United
Stale, shall be that of the pure menl of such coin of standard value,"
and that "the values of the standard coins in circulaton or the various
nations of the ,,rld shall be estimated annual)', by the Direcror of the
Mint, and be proclaimed on the first day of Januiry by the Secrclar} ot
the Treasury.
The e' mates or values contained in the following able are those made
by the Director of the Mint, January st, 1879, in compliance with the
above stated provuions of Law. .

To find the tLmt of High Water at any oif he folJlwing place- add
or _ubrratt Ihe hbour and mnlluiiie, opposite die nime of place in tic
iollc-iiig Tstble, ,:i or hFrm the h:urs anrd minuic: oif High Water at
New York for ithi reqtured day, as ifcund ii the 'C,7'c:da Page.

POSTAL CARDS, i cent each, go without furnhr charge to all parts of
the Uitied State4 and Canada, ouh an additional one-cent slamp they
go tu all parts of Europe.
ALL LnTrER;, to all parts o[ the United States and Canada, 3 cents
per half-ounce.
LOCAL, OR Di.3P"' LeTERS, that ;, for the city or town where
depo ited, cenit if delivered by careers, and I cent where there is no
carrier system.
NEWSP\AERS, daily, ,emi-weekl, tri-weekly and weeklies, regularly
isued and ;ent to regular .ubacribers, 2 cents per pound, payable at the
office of publication; ne wApapers ind magazines published len- frequently
than once a aiek, 2 cenLs per pound.
TRANe ENT NEWSPAPERS, MaEaines, Pamphlets, Book imprinted)
Calendir-, Catalrogus. Corrected Proofs, Handbills, MN-psiliihographed
or engraved). Music (printed sheci), Poiters, ProoA-sheet and Prospec-
tuses, i cent for each two ounces or fraction thereof All other mis-
cellaneous matter, includarig unsealed Circular, Blank Book., Book
hanuscrnpis, Photograph-, &c., and also Seeds, Cuttings, Bulbs and
Roots. and Merchandise, not exceeding our pounds in weight, I cent
for each ounce or fraction thereof
The following are the postal rates with Europe. The rates for letters
are for the half-ounce or fraction thereof, and itose for newspaper for
four ounces or FracUon thereof: -
To Grest Britain and Ireland, France, Spain, all parts of Germany, in-
cluding Au t-ia. Denmark, Switzerland, Italy, Russta, Norway, Sweden,
Turkey (Euaropean and Asiatic), Eypt, lentera 5 cents, newspapers a
cents
For Asaric countries, the half-ounce limit for letter-, and the four
ounces for newspapers, still holding good, the rates are: -
To Australia, letter, via San Francico (except to New South Wales),
5 cents, via Southampion is ceunt, via Brindisl tq cents: newspapers,
via San Francisco 7 enLt. via Southampton 4 cents, via Bnndisi 6 cents;
China, letters, eva San Franci'sc 5 cents, via Southampton t cents,
via Bnndiii 15 cents, newspapers 2, 4 and 6 cents, by the respective
route:; BEit,-h India, Itlian mail, letters 5 cents, newspapers a cents;
Japan, letters, via San Francisco 5 cents, newspapers a cents.

U. S. MONEY ORDERS.

MONEY ORDER P:sr Ornrcas are established in all the large cities
and towns, at which Orders can be obtained upon any other office, at
the following rates of commission:
On Order not exceeding tS, . . cents.
Over st 30 ... .
50o $40o, .... 2
4' 5w A" so, . 25 "
When a larger sum than fifty dollars is required, additional Orders to
make it up must be obtained.

BUSINESS LAW IN DAILY USE.

The following compilation of business law contains the essence of a
bjre amount of legal verbiage:
If a note is lost or stolen, it does not release the maker: he musl pay
ii, if the consideration for which it was given add the amount can be
I:.:ven.
Notes bear interest only when so stated.
Principals are responsible for the acts of their agents.
E ch individual in a parrership is responsible for the whole amount
,.l the.dbts of the frm, except in cases of special partnership.
Ignorance of the law excuses no one.
The law compels no one to do impossib:rites.
An agreement without consideration is void.
A note mdcle on Sunday is void.
Contract-: mlde on Sunday cannot be enforced.
A note by a minor is void.
A contract made with a minor is void.
A contract made with a lunatic is void.
A note obtained by fraud, or from a person in a state of intoxication.
cannot be collected.
It is a fraud to conceal a fraud.
Signatures made with a lead pencil are good in law.
A receipt for money s1 not always conclusive.
The acts'of one partner bind all the re-t.
Value received is usually written in a note, and should be, bur is
not necessary. If nor written it is presumed by the law, or may be
applied by proof.
The maker of an "accommodation bill or note (one for which he
his received no consideration, having lent his name or credit for ,the
accommodation of the holder) is not bound to the.person accommodated,
but is bound to all other parties, precisely as if' there was a good consid-
ration.
No consideration is sufficient in law if it be illegal in its nature.
Checks or drafts must be presented for payment without unreasonable
delay.
Checks or drafts should be presented during business hours,biut in
this country, except in the case of banks, the time extendsithrobgT he
day and evening. .
If the drawee of a check or draft has changed his residence, the'h6lder
must use due or reasonable diligence.to find him.
If one who holds a check as payee or otherwise, transfers it to another4
he his a right to insist ih it the check be presented that day, or, at farther,
on the day following.
A note indorsed in blank (the name of the indorser only written) is
trinsierable by delivery, the sime as if made payable to bearer..

BUSINESS LAW IN DAILY USE.

If the time of payment of a note is not inserted, it is held payable
on demand.
The time of payment of a note must not depend upon a contingency,
The promise mat be absolute.
A bill may be written upon any paper, or subtiitute for it, either with
ink or pencil.
The payee should be distinctly named in the note, unless it is payable
to bearer.
An indorsee has a right of action against all whose names were on the
bill when lie received it.
If the lentr containing a protest of non-payment be put into the post
offce, any miscarriage does not affect the party giving notice.
Notice of protest may be sent either to the place of business or of
residence of the party notified.
The holder of a note may give notice of protest either to all ihe pre-
vious indorzers or only to one of them: in case of the latter he must
,elect the lij: indorser, and the last must give notice to the last before
him, and so on. Each indorser must send notice the same day or the
day following. Ne.ther Sunday or legal holiday is to be counted in
reckoning the time in which notice is to be given.
The loss of a bill or note is not Eufficient excuse for not giving notice
of protest.
If two or more persons as partners are jointly liable on a note or bill,
due notice to one of them is sufficient.
If a note or bill is transferred as security, or even as payment of a
pre-existing debt, the debt revives if the bill or note be dishonored.
An endorsement may be written on the face or back.
An indorser may prevent his own habiliry to be sued by writing
"without recoure," or similar words.
All claims hliich do not rest upon a seal or judgment must be sued
within six years from the time when they arise.
Part payment of .a debt which has pised the time of statutory limita-
tion revives the whole debt, and the claim holdr5good for another period
of six years from the dale of such partial payment.
A verbal promise to pay, made without conditions, is generally held as
sufficient to revive a claim otherwise shut out by the law of limitation.
If, when a debt is due, the debtor is out of the State, the "six years"
do not begin to run until he returns If he afterward leave the State,
the time forward counts the same as i( he remained in the State.
An oral agreement must be proved by evidence. A written agree-
ment proves itsiel' The law prefers written to oral evidence because
of it precision.
No evidence may be introduced to contradict or vary a written con-
tract; but it iny be received in order to explain it, when such contract
is in need of explanation.

MORNING AND EVENING STARS.

IMaNcRRV will be viable as Evening Star about Marclh o, July 5,
ind Nuvember 3: and as Morning Star about April a6, Aujust 21, and
December 13.
VeNus will be Morning Star till July 13, and Even;ng Siar the rest
of the )ear.
JUPITre will be Evening Star till Marcll 1i; Ihen Morning Star
tll Ocoaber 7; and E\seiing Star again the lest of the year.

IN IlIe sear ISSo there will be i.x Eclipses: four of the Sin and two
oi the Moon.
1. A TOTrL ECLIPSE OF iHE SUN, Jinuary 11. Invisible east r.f
lne drawn through St Jo:eph, Mo., and Baion Rouge, La. Visible it
the westerr. quarter of North America and to the Pacific Ocean; being
central andl tonl along a line distaIttweni) miles south of and parallel to
a line drawn through Monterey, Cal., Mariposa, and Salt Like City.
Elsewhere it ill be partial.
The Eclipse will begin as follows:
Denter, Cl. .. . .. t .h. h im. A.
Sui.n Fe, New Mexico . . d. 4h. mil. A.
Salt LakeCit), Utal ... . nd 3h. .4m. A.
The San ielt;n more or les eclipsed.
II. A ToTr.L ECLIPSj nFTHE MbooN, June 22. Irnv;ible. Visible
to A;aa, Australia, ltch Picilic Ocean. and western edge of No. America.
III. AN ANNULARE ECLIPSE OP THE SUN. July 7. Invisible. Visi-
ble to the ioutihern Ihalt of South America, to Cape of Good Hope, and to
Souhl Atl.-ntic Oceain.
IV. AN UNIMPORTAr!T PARtiAL ECLtPSE OF THE SUN, Decenl-
ber I. Ii.v;i,ble. Visible to Southern Ocan.
V. A TorAt. Ectl.ipE OF THE MOON, December 16. Visible more
o. len to the vorld generally. except In Soulh America, the West India
IslanL, and eastern portion of North America. To the ertern seaboard
it will be whoill ir.viible. To the adijon;ng region, as far west as the
Mis-imsippi River, the Moon ;1ll set in The morning 'inged with the
adanc;ng Penumrri, l ;hale. To the re;con still further west the Moon
ill set more or le:- in lshadow.
V[. A PA.TrAL ECLIFPS OF THi Sut, December 31. Visible in
Ihe eastern portion of North America Las far west as Illinois and Mivii-
tippi, to Europe and to North Atlantic Ocean. To all places in tle
United States where visible the Sun nill r.se partly eclipsed; the Eclipse
ending in the morning at the times given, as follows:
Portland .......... 3:.rl. T0i. i'm M.
ncsion . . . . . 3 id oh. om. M.
New York . . . . . 3id. 8h som. M.
Columbus . . . .... 3id. 7h. s5m. M.
Plhildelphia . . . . : 3d 8h. 4im. M.
Wilr.ntron . . . . d. Sh aqm. M.
Charleston . . . . . id. 1h 5Sm M.
Magnitude or greatest Ec;p-e = o 715 (Moon'i diameter = i.)
Art occULTTIrro OF MIanR will occur Marclh 17. Visible to the
eastern portion ro North America: beginning shortly.after sunset and
las tng generally about an hour and a quarter.